matter
noun
uk/ˈmæt.ər/us/ˈmæt̬.ɚ/matternoun(SITUATION)
B2[C]
asituationorsubjectthat is beingdealtwith orconsidered:
事情，事件Could Italkto you about apersonalmatter?我能和你谈件私事吗？
Allendeniedanyknowledgeof the matter.艾伦否认对此事知情。
Pleasephoneme back - it's a matterofsomeimportance.你能给我回电话吗——有比较重要的事。
Talking about the world'sproblemsis one thing, butsolvingthem isanothermatteraltogether(= iscompletelydifferent).谈论世界所面临的问题是一回事，而解决它们却完全是另一回事。
matters[plural]
thesituationbeingdealtwith or beingdiscussed:
（正在处理或考虑的）问题Herresignationis not going tohelpmatters.她的辞职无助于解决问题。
to make matters worse
B2
used to say that something has made abadordifficultsituationworse:
使情况更糟的是Three ofourplayerswereill, and to make mattersworse,ourmainscorerhadbrokenhisankle.我们的3名队员病了，更糟的是，主要得分手摔断了脚踝。
be a matter of confidence, luck, waiting, etc.
C2
If something is a matter ofconfidence,luck,waiting, etc. that is all you need for it tohappen:
只需信心／运气／等待等Baking acakeisn'tdifficult- it's just a matter offollowingtherecipe.烤蛋糕并不难——只需照着烹饪指南做就行。
be no laughing matter
C2
to be veryseriousand not asituationthatpeopleshouldjokeabout:
需严肃对待的事，不是开玩笑的事Beingarrestedby thepoliceis nolaughingmatter.被警方逮捕可不是开玩笑的事。
- It's allrightworkingwith him, butlivingwith him would be a different matteraltogether.
- Thegovernmentdecidedtoholdapublicenquiryinto the matter.
- Thewholematter isfurthercomplicatedby thefactthat Amanda and Jorefusetospeakto each other.
- This is a matter ofgreatconcernto thegeneralpublic.
- You're not going tohelpmatters bylyingtheresobbing!
Topics & areas of interest
- angle
- backyard
- bailiwick
- cause célèbre
- centrism
- con
- convention
- demesne
- front
- kingdom
- leitmotiv
- province
- scene
- score
- specialism
- subject
- talk
- thematic
- theme
- topically
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Deteriorating and making worse
Easiness and simplicity
Serious and severe
matternoun(PROBLEM)
the matterA2[S]
thereasonforpain,worry, or aproblem:
麻烦事，问题；毛病What'sthe matter? Why are youcrying?怎么了？你为什么哭？
What's the matterwithyourhand? It'sbleeding.你的手怎么了？都流血了。
Is anything the matter?有什么麻烦吗？
I don'tknowwhat the matter iswiththecar, but it won'tstart.我不知道这车出了什么毛病，但就是发动不起来。
- What's the matter with Lulu?
- I don'tknowwhat's the matter with thisphone.
- Youlookupset- is anything the matter?
- Why do you need anothercomputer? What's the matter with the one you've got?
- Julie wascrying, but she wouldn't say what the matter was.
Difficult situations and unpleasant experiences
- a hard/tough row to hoeidiom
- abyss
- adversity
- atyourworstidiom
- Augean
- bad hair day
- emergence
- epidemic
- genie
- half nelson
- hardness
- have a bumpy rideidiom
- quicksand
- rabbit hole
- reversal
- rigour
- rollercoaster
- strait
- the Augean Stablesidiom
- the hard wayidiom
matternoun(SUBSTANCE)
[U]
physicalsubstancein theuniverse:
物质Somescientistsbelievethat there is about tentimesas much matter in theuniverseasastronomershaveobserved.有些科学家认为，宇宙中的物质约有天文学家所观测到的10倍之多。
[U]
asubstanceof aparticularkind:
（某一类）物质Mostvegetablematter iscompostable.绝大部分蔬菜都可以用作堆肥。
There's nowastematterleftover.没有任何浪费的东西剩下。
Physics: the state of matter
- absorbency
- absorption
- acidic
- allotropic
- compressible
- concentration
- e-liquid
- fluid
- impermeable
- metallic
- permeable
- pressurized
- runny
- rusty
- slurry
- sulphurous
- superabsorbent
- superwave
- unabsorbent
- unset
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Particular and individual
Something, anything, nothing, and everything
matternoun(TYPE)
C2[U]
asubstanceor things of aparticulartype:
（某一类）物品advertising/printedmatter广告材料／印刷品
Do youfindthesubjectmatter of thebook(= thesubjectthat thebookdealswith)interesting?你觉得这本书的主题内容有趣吗？
Categories and varieties
- bad/big boyidiom
- breed
- categoric
- categorical
- category
- classification
- form
- genre
- model
- order
- polymorphism
- shade
- sort
- stratification
- style
- subcategory
- substance
- typology
- update
- variety
matternoun(SMALL AMOUNT)
C2[S]
used inexpressionsdescribinghowsmallanamountorperiodoftimeis:
（表示数量或时间之少）大约，左右Theinterviewwas overin amatterofminutes.采访约几分钟就结束了。
Shecomplainedhe had short-changed her, but it was onlyamatterofa fewpence.她说他少找她钱了，其实只差了几便士而已。
Words meaning small pieces and amounts
- by a noseidiom
- clipping
- crumb
- dab
- dollop
- fraction
- grain
- hint
- oddments
- paring
- peewee
- pinch
- potsherd
- skinny
- spark
- swatch
- tad
- thimbleful
- tidbit
- tiddler
Grammar
Matter
We can use matter as a verb or a noun. It is a very common word with a number of different uses and grammatical patterns.…Matteras a verb
The most common use of the verb matter is in the expression it doesn’t matter (and the less common forms it didn’t matter, it wouldn’t matter and it won’t matter). It doesn’t matter means ‘it is not important’, ‘I don’t mind’ or ‘it is not a problem’:…Matteras a noun
We can use what’s the matter (with …)? to ask someone about a problem or to ask for an explanation of a situation that looks problematic:…No matter
We can use no matter to link two clauses as a conjunction. It is a short form of it does not matter. We can use no matter with what, when, where, which, who and how to refer to a situation that cannot be changed, even though we try:…Matter: typical errors
The noun matter, meaning ‘question, problem or issue’, is countable:…Idioms
as a matter of course
as a matter of fact
be (only) a matter of time
be a matter of life and/or death
be a matter of opinion
be a matter of record
for that matter
the matter in hand
no matter
no matter what, when, why, etc.
take matters intoyourown hands
that's a matter of opinion
matter
verb[I]
uk/ˈmæt.ər/us/ˈmæt̬.ɚ/B2
to beimportant, or toaffectwhathappens:
要紧，重要，有关系We were late but it didn'tseemto matter.我们迟到了，不过看来不要紧。
"What did you say?" "Oh,it doesn'tmatter."“你说什么？”“哦，没什么要紧的。”
[+ question word]Itdoesn't matterwhat youwear- just aslongas you come.只要你来，穿什么都没关系。
[+ that]Itdidn't matterthatourbestplayerwasinjuredafter tenminutes- we stillwon.我们最好的球员比赛开始10分钟就受伤了——但这无碍大局，我们还是赢了。
IknowCharles doesn'tthinkthisprojectisimportant, but it matterstome.我知道查尔斯并不看重这个项目，但它对我来说很重要。
Compare
countverb
- Oh just put itanywhere- it doesn't matter where.
- Herhealthis what matters - thecostof thetreatmentis ofsecondaryimportance.
- It's thesumtotalof what youeatover alongperiodthat matters and not what youconsumein aday.
- The only thing that matters is that thebabyishealthy.
- It doesn't matter if youfail, just doyourbest.
Being important and having importance
- bulk
- bulk largeidiom
- centrality
- come
- come beforesomething/someone
- count
- cut
- cut to the chaseidiom
- fish
- have bigger/other fish to fryidiom
- have/take pride of placeidiom
- high-stakes
- loom
- loom largeidiom
- mean the world tosomeoneidiom
- override
- pride
- reign
- rise
- signify
Grammar
Matter
We can use matter as a verb or a noun. It is a very common word with a number of different uses and grammatical patterns.…Matteras a verb
The most common use of the verb matter is in the expression it doesn’t matter (and the less common forms it didn’t matter, it wouldn’t matter and it won’t matter). It doesn’t matter means ‘it is not important’, ‘I don’t mind’ or ‘it is not a problem’:…Matteras a noun
We can use what’s the matter (with …)? to ask someone about a problem or to ask for an explanation of a situation that looks problematic:…No matter
We can use no matter to link two clauses as a conjunction. It is a short form of it does not matter. We can use no matter with what, when, where, which, who and how to refer to a situation that cannot be changed, even though we try:…Matter: typical errors
The noun matter, meaning ‘question, problem or issue’, is countable:…